Russell Brand has been convicted of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others following a month-long trial at Southwark Crown Court.
The comedian and actor, 51, was found guilty of raping a 21-year-old fan after one of his performances in 2009. He was also convicted of sexually assaulting an MTV worker in 2004, a Capital Radio employee in 2005 and a Channel 4 worker in 2009.
Brand, who denied all the charges, was cleared of two further counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.
Mr Justice Bennathan told him: “You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including rape. The consequence of that is inevitably a significant custodial term. My current view is that I therefore have to remand you into custody.”
Brand closed his eyes as the verdicts were delivered. His wife, Laura Gallacher, cried in the public gallery and was comforted by a friend while holding the hand of an aide.
Before the jury returned, Brand looked towards his wife and said: “Laura, I love you.” He later replied loudly, “yes My Lord”, when told he was being remanded.
Russell Brand conviction follows four-week trial
The jury deliberated for eight and a half hours before reaching its verdicts. Brand was convicted of assaulting an MTV worker at a party in a Soho bar, although he was cleared of orally raping her in a toilet afterwards.
The woman told the court that Brand had grabbed her breasts in the middle of the bar and later dragged her towards the men’s toilets. She said she had not reported the incident at the time because he was a celebrity and she feared it would be his word against hers.
A Capital Radio worker said Brand pinned her against a wall during a visit to the station in 2005, groped her and kissed her. She told jurors that members of his entourage watched and laughed as she looked towards them for help.
Brand was also convicted of sexually assaulting a Channel 4 employee during a forced massage in 2009. The court heard that members of his entourage had pressured the woman into giving him a massage, during which he thrust his head towards her groin.
The most serious conviction related to a 21-year-old fan whom Brand met after one of his shows at the Hammersmith Apollo. She agreed to visit his Hampstead home several days later, but told the jury that he forced her to strip, shower and brush her teeth before they went to bed.
She said they initially had consensual sex, but that Brand then forced her into non-consensual anal sex and ignored her cries of pain. She was left bleeding and later underwent tests after fearing she might have contracted HIV; the results were negative.
The woman told the court that Brand subsequently told her to “clean up the mess you’ve made” before turning on the television. She was then ushered out by a member of staff and given tissues by a driver who took her home.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC described Brand as a “sexual predator” and said women had been treated as a “disposable commodity”.
“They didn’t matter to him. He didn’t even need to know their names. They were just a means to an end,” she told the court.
Judge refuses bail before sentencing
Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, asked for him to be granted bail until sentencing, describing it as an “act of humanity”. He said one of Brand’s children had celebrated a birthday on Wednesday and that the children did not yet know about the convictions.
Mr Winter said Brand wanted to “put his affairs in order and in particular to say goodbye to his three young children”. He argued that Brand was not a flight risk and would surrender his passport and report to police.
But Mr Justice Bennathan refused the application, saying Brand had “considerable resources” and that there were substantial grounds to fear he might ultimately not return to face sentence.
The judge added: “I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course.”
Brand made gestures towards his defence team and repeatedly said: “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good,” before being taken from the dock. He was not allowed to say goodbye to his wife or children.
As he left the courtroom, Mr Winter confronted Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, telling her: “I hope you are pleased with yourself.” When she replied that she was pleased justice had been done, he said: “Well, it wasn’t. You f***ed it.”
During the trial, Mr Winter had argued that media reporting of allegations against Brand had “poisoned the well”. The judge had previously rejected an attempt by Brand to stop the trial because of negative coverage.
Further allegations under consideration
The Crown Prosecution Service is considering bringing further charges against Brand, including in relation to allegations made by a girl who was 16 at the time. The allegations were not heard by the jury in the trial.
The girl, known by the pseudonym Alice, said Brand began a relationship with her when he was 30 and that a BBC car took her from school to his home. She alleged that he groomed and sexually abused her during a three-month relationship.
At least two other women are also understood to have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse before the trial. Prosecutors had limited the criminal case to six complainants and are now considering whether additional charges could lead to a second trial.
Brand is also facing civil claims in Britain and the United States. A High Court claim by a woman seeking £100,000 in damages for alleged personal injury and sexual abuse has been put on hold until the criminal proceedings concluded.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy described the conviction as a “watershed moment” and urged anyone who had experienced rape or serious sexual assault to contact police.
He said: “I hope today’s conviction demonstrates that allegations of sexual violence will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.”
David Roberts, senior crown prosecutor in the London Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Unit, said Brand had used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes and had shown “a complete disregard for the impact of his actions”.
Brand had continued to record podcasts during the trial and spoke publicly about his Christian faith. He arrived at court carrying a Bible and a silver cross and repeatedly described himself as “blessed”.
His defence included arguments that the complainants could not have been raped because they had not run away, fought back or screamed for help. Brand’s own account of his sexual behaviour in a 2007 book was also examined during the proceedings.
He is now being held in custody pending sentencing.
